Richard Burgan

Richard Burgan was born in Detroit in 1964 and influenced by his mother’s artwork until she died of MS. He moved to Florida around 2002 where Richard began to take notice of all the artwork down here and became inspired.

He began experimenting and meeting other artists who knew the Highwaymen work. A mutual friend suggested to Richard that he introduce him to Al Black. This was in May of 2009. They hit it off and have been great friends ever since. Richard spent many afternoons during the next few years watching Al paint in his back yard. He would come home and work his versions which were extremely beautiful. Al says that no one he has ever taught has taken to it so seriously for so long.

He has come a long way from Al’s back yard to showing his art with Kelvin Hair in Studio 17, to finally getting to be in the Highwaymen Festival this year. Kelvin calls him “The White Highwayman legacy.” Al’s style is very evident in Richard’s pieces, but he has moved on to a more finely detailed work , yet with the same beautiful colors. For several years he’s been teaching Richard Burgan, a white artist, to paint like a Highwayman. As it was with Al, Burgan learns mostly by watching and working on his own canvases. But Al says what he really needs to do is to teach Richard to sell.